Dear Mom
by HauntedReality
Summary: This is a SEQUAL to my previous story Paging Corp. O'Reily. It is based around an original character Casidy O'Reily, who made her debut in the previous story. Look for more "episodes" to come soon. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Dear Mom, It's Casidy.

A MASH Fan Fiction

(Situated during the end of Season 3, before the end episode)

INSERT THEME SONG

Casidy sat in her tent, her hair glittered in the light. Radar had managed to find her a lamp. She smiled softly as she looked at the piece of paper sitting in front of her. It had been a while since she had written her mother at home, and she had told Trapper and Hawkeye to go and see the movie without her because of this.

She chewed on the top of her pen, thinking about all the things that she wanted to tell her mother about. It was so hard to not tell her mother about everything that was going through her head. She frowned, twisting a few strands of her hair around her finger before she began writing the letter. She made her letters neatly, gently sloping to the right hand side.

_Dear Mother,_

_I am sorry that it has been so long since my last letter. It has been a long spring here in Korea. I miss home greatly. I miss the smell of our farm back home more and more every day. There are few flowers here, and I have managed to plant a few seeds that you have sent me. I have a small little patch of home in front of my tent, but its not nearly the same. They remind me of your flower beds... Radar has said that they remind him of home as well. It is nice to spend some of my free time watering them. _

_How is our family? I have thought of you all many times during my time here. It is almost as though memories of home are most of what fuel me some days. But I have found other things here to occupy my free time... I've been spending a lot of time with the surgeons here at the MASH unit. I'm sure that Radar has told you about them. They are as unique as they can be. I've never met men like them before in my life, even at the University. They are not only co-workers, but friends, good listeners, and shoulders when I am in need._

_Colonel Henry Blake, he's our C.O. He's quite a man. He's very compassionate. He treats Radar like a son. He's quite a man. I'm sure that you'd appreciate the way that he's treated both Radar and myself. He has been quite a good person to talk to when the war starts to get to us. I've had to talk to him a time or two about patients. I've had to watch as several lost their lives on the tables at our unit. They come in missing parts, and we have to patch them back together. Colonel Blake is quite a surgeon. He takes very good care of the patients and his men. I have to say that I admire his quiet strength. He doesn't really run our camp in a way that is very GI... its more along the lines of being a piece of home dressed up in Army drab. He gets picked at by Majors Hoolahan and Burns for not being as GI as they think he should be. _

_Captain Hawkeye Pierce. His real name isn't Hawkeye, but it is appropriate. He's one of the best surgeons here at the unit. I've worked at the same table as him in the OR on several occasions and he is exactly that. A hawk eye. He can see shrapnel that other doctors would have left behind. He's a very knowledgeable man. He is our chief surgeon here at our Unit. He's very good at what he does. He deals with the stresses here in Korea differently than many here do. He makes it into a joke. He keeps our atmosphere light, and doesn't allow us to fall into a war depression. He's got a good joke anytime that any of us need it. He has been an amazing friend. He listens to me when I need him to. He is a big hit with all of the nurses, and is seldom without a date on his nights off. He rarely wears his full uniform around the camp, and I've never seen him in his dress uniform._

_Major Frank Burns. He's quite a card. All he cares about is what we in the army call Brass. He's constantly worried about ranking and other nonsense like that. He thinks that its disgraceful for Hawkeye, Trapper and I to pal around with Walter and Corporal Klinger (I'll tell you more about him later.) He thinks that he's God's gift to surgeons. He's a terrible surgeon to be honest. I think that I'd rather not work at his table. I've been lucky enough to only be assigned his table twice. He's rude, obnoxious, and an all around terrible surgeon, if you want to call him that. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing. He's not a very good surgeon and enjoys flashing the flag in front of all of us. He believes that he's the only patriot here at camp, him and Hoolahan. He tends to annoy us all, so Trapper and Hawkeye make a point of playing tricks on him all the time to keep the camp's moral up. He's also having an affair with Major Hoolahan, even though he is married. I don't know how he lives with himself. Not that they'd admit that they were having an affair. They say that they're just good colleagues, and that everyone is making a big fuss out of nothing when it comes to them being together. _

_Captain Trapper John MacIntyre is an amazing doctor. He is a very good joker as well. I'd have to say that he's an amazing surgeon. He's second only to Pierce. He is the doctor that I am assigned to most of the time in the OR. The one thing that you won't like about him is that he's divorced recently. He and his wife have parted ways on amiable terms. To be honest, before they split, they weren't on the best terms... He married her because he got her pregnant, or at least that's what I've heard. He has two little girls named Becky and Kathy back home. They're really cute. He's shown me pictures of them. They both look so much like their father. Sometimes it makes me wonder who I really look like, my mother or my father. Curiosity killed the cat you know... _

_I have spent a lot of time with Trapper lately. He is a very kind man. We go to the movies together on movie nights. He and I have gotten very close during the months that I have been here at the MASH unit. He has taken good care of my needs. He even managed to get me an orange. It was the first orange that I've had in a very long time. I shared it with him, it would have only been fair. We went up to the heli-pad in a jeep and watched the sunset, eating the orange. It has to be the most romantic moment that I have ever had in my life. _


	2. Chapter 2

Casidy put the end of her pencil in her mouth and thought for a moment. She watched the scarf over the window blow in the breeze. She smiled thinking about how much she had enjoyed that night.

Trapper came into her tent, his hand behind his back. He smiled down at her where she sat at her desk. She was reading a novel that Radar had found her. She looked up at him and grinned. "Hey honey." She stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her close to him with one arm as they stood in her tent. She noticed that only one of his arms was around her.

"Are you going to hold me or just stand there?" She asked, looking up at him.

He shook his head. "I've got a present for you..." He pulled his other arm out from behind his back, and had an orange in it. He watched as her eyes lit up.

"Where did you get this?" Casidy asked. She cupped the orange in her hand. She looked up at him with wonder in her eyes. She had told him a couple of nights ago that she had missed oranges most of all and now here he stood with an orange just for her.

"I had Radar get one of the guys over at the 1045th to send one our way. I thought that you'd appreciate it. A little taste of something good in this war of a lot of bad," Trapper said.

She couldn't help but smile at him. He had been so sweet to her lately. It helped that they had been spending a lot of time together. It only made sense. They were in love. He cupped her face in his hands. "Wanna go for a ride. I have a chariot waiting outside, and I've been told that there is a lovely view of the sunset from the heli-pad," Trapper said.

She nodded her head and pulled on her jacket. She went to leave the orange on the desk, but then picked it up. She put it in her pocket and walked towards the door where he stood, holding it open for her. She stood up on her toes and kissed him softly on the cheek. He put his hand on the small of her back and lead her over to the other side of the jeep. He helped her up into the jeep and got in on his side and drove them up the hill to the heli-pad.

When they got to the top, Casidy scooted closer to Trapper in the back seat of the Jeep. He put his arm around her and she put a finger up. "One second." She pulled out the orange and held it out to him. "Peel it? I wanna share with you."

He eyed her and had to smile. "But this is your present? I had it brought in especially for you."

Casidy thought for a moment. "And it is a lovely gift. I want to share it with you... that way you taste like oranges when I kiss you."

Trapper smiled. He took the orange from her and peeled it. He put the orange peels on the hood of the jeep. He peeled off one of the segments and held it out to her. She reached out for it and he patted her hand playfully. "Uh... uh... uh..., open wide," he said.

She giggled. The sound was magical to his ears. She closed her eyes and leaned forward. He put the orange segment into her mouth. She closed her lips around it, her lips brushed against his finger tips as they sealed, capturing the orange. Her eyes closed in a look of extacy as she chewed the orange slice. She made eating that orange look like it was a sin.

She took a segment from him and put it up for him to eat. He grinned and took a bite. He chewed the orange thoughtfully. They watched the sun setting over the horizon. She laid her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her.


	3. Chapter 3

_I have to say, Mother... I am in love with him. He makes my heart pitier patter inside my chest. To be honest, I've never felt this way before. He's quite a man. He has expressed interest in us being together in the long run. He hasn't said the word marriage, but I'm hoping that he will. I haven't told him that I think that I love him yet, I'm waiting for the moment that is right for it. _

_He is good friends with Hawkeye. They both have been taking very good care of Radar and I. They make sure that we both don't get too down in the dumps. They're really good at playing jokes on Major Frank Burns. We tied Frank to his bunk the other night and flipped it over. He woke up the next morning and I could hear him screaming all the way in Post-Op where Trapper, Hawkeye and I were. _

_My tent mate Majorie is good. I really like her. I've been thinking about introducing her to Hawkeye. They've met, but she's very shy. She is very scared about meeting guys. I think that this will help her _

_come out of her shell. She reminds me of Jannie from back home. She was so shy and then Radar and I introduced her to Carter from down the street and they were joined at the hip for a while before they got married. I'm thinking that she just needs an introduction or two and she'll be just fine._

"ATTENTION Incoming wounded. All surgical personel to pre-op on the double," was heard over the PA system.

Casidy put down her pen and paper. She quickly laced her boots and ran out the door. She went into the pre-op and started putting on her surgical garb. She quickly started washing her hands. Trapper came in next. "Cas... you're quick as a cat." He started scrubbing in next to her. She quickly got his garb and helped him into it.

The other nurses and Hawkeye filtered in slowly. "Whose on Triage?" Casidy asked as she tied on Trapper's mask.

"Frank," Nurse Kelly said flatly.

Casidy sighed softly. She knew it would be a long night. She and Trapper entered the OR and went to his usual table. She set the equipment up and Klinger and the other enlisted started bringing in the wounded. The OR was soon a buzz with the sounds of the doctors asking for different instruments and the jokes between Hawkeye and Trapper. Frank could be heard whining at his end of the tables.

The noise and wounded lasted for nearly eighteen hours. When it was over, Casidy was exhausted. With Majorie still in Seoul she had the tent to herself.

She and Trapper walked over to her tent and he leaned against the door frame. He looked as tired as she felt. She gently caressed his cheek, wishing that she could have him hold her through the night. She just knew that she was going to have nightmares after seeing all that blood and damage for eighteen hours straight.

Trapper leaned down and kissed her gently. Casidy looked around, the compound was nearly deserted. "Want me to come in and tuck you in?" Trap asked. Even exhausted he was still more than willing to take care of her.

She had to smile. "I'd rather you come in and hum me to sleep... and maybe hold me all night," she said. She felt her eyes getting heavier the more they spoke.

Trapper gave her an inquisitive look before he nodded and walked in with her. He took off his shirt and pants, standing in front of her in just his boxers. She pulled off her pants, and then looked over at him nervously. She bit her lip, wondering if she had taken a step too far by inviting him in for the night. She had never stripped down in front of a man before. He noticed her hesitation and reached over picking up his shirt from her chair. "How about you wear my shirt to sleep? I'd be glad to see it put to good use. I'll even turn my back while you put it on," he said.

Casidy took the shirt from him and waited until he was turned around before taking off her shirt and bra and putting his shirt on. It draped over her body like curtains. It was too large for her but smelled just like him. She took the collar in her hands and held it to her nose, breathing in deeply.

Trapper turned around just in time to see that. "Does it smell good? I think that it was clean this morning," he joked. Casidy hit him in the arm playfully and pulled back the covers to her bed.

"What will Hawkeye and Frank say when you don't come back and go to bed?" Casidy asked.

"Hawkeye will think that I got a better offer. And Frank... he probably won't notice or say that it was against regulations and threaten to write me up." He laid down on the bed and put his arms out for her. She turned off the light and laid down in the comfort of his arms. She put her head on his shoulder and could hear the steady beat of his heart. He hummed Elvis's Unchained Melody softly as she drifted off to sleep. When he thought she was fast asleep he kissed her forehead and whispered softly, "I love you Casidy O'Reily. I honestly do."


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm sorry that I had to leave like that Mother. Not that you'd have known any different. I was called in for wounded while I was in the middle of writing this letter. We had eighteen hours of wounded coming in one after another. We had four surgeons and eight nurses in there. When one patient was taken out, another was being brought in. Poor Hawkeye had to have a stool brought in so that he could continue. He never took a break, and neither did Trapper and I. It just didn't seem right to leave the others while we go and rest when we could work hard and then everyone could rest. By the time we were finished we were all so exhausted that I seriously considered sleeping in the OR, the tables couldn't be any harder than our cots. I'm joking of course. I'm off duty until tomorrow night since I worked eighteen hours straight... so is Trapper. Hawkeye wouldn't hear of himself being put out of commission for so long, and demanded to be on the next night shift. I don't think that any of us are going to get too much rest because the marines are supposedly attempting to take a Korean held hill. That means more casualties will be coming in soon. _

_I should continue telling you about my friends here at the unit, instead of such depressing things as the OR news. _

_My other tent mate, Pamela, remember her? She is no longer here, she was getting a bit too friendly with all the soldiers over here. But I think one of the enlisted guys has gotten her by the heart recently. She had been spending a lot of time with him. She just found out that she was pregnant before she left. That's a one way ticket home here... at least for the women. The enlisted man that she'd been seeing will be staying here at our unit. She and he will be married when he gets to come home. He bought her a ring off of a Korean vendor that comes here from time to time. It was really very beautiful. _

_Major Margaret Hoolahan and I have become better friends recently. She's a very lovely lady. She has kind of taken me under her wing. I don't like the man that she spends her time with, Frank Burns, but she is a very good nurse. She has taught me a lot of things. She is usually curt with other nurses, but she isn't with me. I think its the fact that I've come to talk to her often. She's really good with advice. And since I can't come into your room and talk to you, she'll have to do. She's also quite a singer. I wish that I had her voice. The guys here call her "Hot Lips." Trapper said its because she had been very friendly with a lot of high ranking officers during her time in the military. She told me the other day that she's a military brat, that means that she's always been in the military. Her father was an officer and her mother and she followed him from base to base though her childhood. She said that she didn't know what she'd do once she was out of the military. I suggested that she come and work at the hospital in Illinois with me once the war is over. She seemed to like the idea of at least having someone in the same place with her to help her get a little more used to civilian life, but I don't know if she'll ever really leave the military. If she got cut, she'd probably bleed drab green._

_Corporal Max Klinger is very different from Margaret... He's been trying to get out of the Army for as long as he's been in it. He was a draftee and doesn't want to be here anymore. (Not that he wanted to be here in the first place.) He's married to a woman in his home town of Toledo. The reason that Klinger is so interesting is that he has been dressing in women's clothing for a very long time. He is trying to get a Section 8 discharge. Section 8 is a psychiatric discharge. But none of the doctors here nor at other bases will sign off that he's crazy. To be honest, he's got very good taste in clothing. He's made me a dress recently for me to wear to our Luau. He's got a real flare for dress making. I really am glad that I've made friends with him. He is friendly and actually a pretty good person for me to talk to when I want advice on what to wear to the little parties that happen here from time to time. He tends to keep up with the styles back home as much as he can. He's given me several catalogs to clothing people that will ship over here. I like several of the dresses that I've found in there and might actually purchase one of them to wear to Seoul on my next trip... hopefully Trapper will get leave with me and I can show him around, since I was stationed there. _

_In other camp news, we had a movie night the other night, an actual movie, and not just another one of those pictures that the War Department gives us usually. It was Gone with the Wind. It actually was a four night movie night. We had to break it up twice because of wounded coming in and then we had to cut short for sleep the other two nights. But that was quite alright. I loved it even though I had to watch it in pieces. I would love to see it again in its entirety when I get home. Most of the time we get movies about monkeys or things that we'd never really want to watch, but end up watching it anyway for a lack of things to do._


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey Cas... you wanna go with me to the movie?" Trapper asked, putting his arm around her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head, and grinned down at her.

"Is it another one of those Bonzo movies, because I think that I've seen all the Bonzo that I care to see for a while.." Casidy said with a laugh. "Radar needs to stop ordering those."

Trapper couldn't help but laught. "No... its not another Bonzo movie. I had Radar get us something you'd probably like to see..."

Casidy raised her eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. "And what would that be?" she said, poking him in the side.

Trapper just grinned, and lead her to the mess tent that also served as a movie theater, a place for gatherings and just about anything that wasn't related to the hospital.

Casidy pouted playfully as they walked together to the mess tent. "Trapper... come on... Tell me."

_I spend a lot of my time here either in post op, or with the guys around the camp. Most of the other nurses have seemed to bonded long before I arrived, and are cool in their demeanor towards me. I think sometimes that they think that I've encroached on their territory when it comes to the surgeons. I don't know what to do about that, hopefully it will clear up with time. But the guys have made sure that I do not feel lonely. Between Trapper, Hawkeye, Radar and Majorie I'm never really alone, except when I really want to be. It makes the time here seem to fly by sometimes because we're so busy, but at times it creeps along, and its like the war is just a distant story. Then another batch of wounded get brought in and that quiet gets broken into a million of pieces._

_The cases that come into the hospital here are quite difficult at times. I nearly got sick yesterday when a little girl came in to our hospital. She had gone into a mine field after the family's ox. She came back out on a stretcher. Some kids aren't nearly that lucky. Most of them die in the mine field before anyone can get to them. She came in with a leg wound. Trapper and I were the ones to operate on her. I nearly cried. Trapper pulled out more shrapnel out of her than most of the soldiers that have come in lately and she was nearly a quarter of their size. She couldn't have been more than seven._

_She's doing better now. Trapper and I visit her every day. She's still in post-op. Her sister comes to visit when she can, but they are barely scraping up a living as it is. The little girl's name is SuLi. She's. quite adorable. She can speak very little English, but she seems to understand Trap and I both. She likes to play Old Maid. We play that with her every day like clock work. She knows when we're coming in and usually is sitting up as much as she can in her cot with the cards out. I managed to get her a doll from one of the Korean Vendors. It might have been the same guy that the enlisted man bought Pam's ring off of. It is a cute doll dressed in a Geisha outfit. That's a really fancily dressed Chinese woman. They are much more fancy than the ball gowns that are worn in the states. But I guess that's another one of those differences in our cultures. I also bought myself a Japanese robe and one for you. Radar is going to send it to you with a gift from himself. _

_Radar has been quite a big help here. He's kept me in line, and helped me get anything that I need. He really knows his way around this camp. He's got his hand in everything here. He's practically the one that's running the camp. You'd be proud if you could only see him. _

_He helped me and Trapper go over to a girl in one of the near by villages and help her with her birthing. Her sister had been sent by the father to come and get a doctor. Since it was quite a walk, Radar drove us over in a jeep. The girl had a beautiful little baby girl. Its hair was black as Uncle Joe's. The birthing was quite normal and everything went fine. We're supposed to go over in a couple of days and check on the baby's progress. _

_I better close this letter for now, I'm feeling quite tired, and it won't be long until Hawkeye and Trapper get out from the movie. Trapper will be coming over to say good night. No worries Ma... I listened to every word you said when I was younger. _

_Good Night Mother, I will continue writing this letter later, see you soon, I hope. I love you with all of my heart and can't wait to see you again. I think of you all every night, and pray for you before I lay my head down. _


	6. Chapter 6

Casidy put down her pen and folded the letter to her mother. She put the letter on her desk and laid back on the bed. She took a deep breath and sighed. It felt good to just relax for a while. She hoped that the war would wait until her next shift at least. She was fast asleep when Trapper came in to tuck her in. He grinned when he saw that she was wearing his shirt again to sleep that night. He wished that he could hold her through the night again, but didn't want to get rumors started nor make Radar angry with him. He kissed her forehead and pulled the green drab blanket over her. He smoothed a blond lock back from her face and smiled down at her. He couldn't believe that this girl was all his. He turned out the light and walked down towards the swamp. He thought for a moment and decided to make a pit stop at Margaret's tent before hitting the sack himself.

There was a knock at Margaret's door. She knew that it couldn't be Frank because she had just left him at Post-Op duty. She straightened her robe before saying, "Come in."

Trapper walked into her tent and nodded to her. "Hiya Margaret. You look quite fetching tonight. The moonlight like a halo around your head," he said with a grin.

Margaret rolled her eyes and sighed. "What do you want Trapper?"

"I've got an idea and I want to bounce it off you before putting it in action... You're a woman, or so the rumors have stated." Trapper joked.

"Captain, if you don't just spit it out, I'll have to ask you to leave."

"I want to propose to Casidy... but I haven't been able to get into Seoul to get her a ring. I was thinking that for the time being I could just give her my wedding band... but it won't fit her, her hands are dainty like yours."

Margaret smiled. Her heart melted when he mentioned that he wanted to propose and she thought that it was sweet that he wanted to do it sooner rather than later. "I think that is a pretty decent idea Trapper. She could wear the ring on her dog tags like some girls do... or we could wrap some yarn around it until it fits her finger and tie it off. I saw some lovely rings the last time I was in Seoul. Be sure to go to Chow's Jewelry. They've got a fine selection," she said.

"I think that yarn idea is pretty good. She's probably got your sized finger and we could always add more or take some off to make it fit right? I really want to do this right. It isn't stupid for me to not want to wait until after I get her a ring is it? I hate leaving her, even at night."

"Of course not Trapper. I think that if you love her enough to marry her and she loves you the same, then the engagement ring is merely a formality. Let me get out the yarn and we'll work on making it fit." Margaret went over to her bedside table and pulled out a ball of gray yarn. She held her hand out for the ring and took it from him. She patted the bed next to her and smiled as he sat down. She strung part of the yarn through and wound it around the ring until it looked like it would fit her own hand. She snipped the end and tied the two ends together. She tried the ring on her hand and then nodded, handing it back to Trapper. "That should fit. If it doesn't, we'll fix it then."

She stood up and leaned against her dresser. "Have you thought about how you are going to ask her?" she asked.

Trapper shook his head. "No, I just thought that I'd kinda wing it... Thought that I'd say something like 'Casidy... I have loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. I don't want to live another moment without you. Will you be my bride?' and hope to God that she does want to marry me. I honestly don't know how I've survived this long without her. She's like the air that I breathe."

Margaret smiled as the surgeon in front of her waxed poetical. It wasn't often that she got to see this side of either of the doctors. Usually they were cutting up, but this side of Trapper was a surprise. She liked this side of him. It would be nice to see him like this more often. "I think that she'd be insane not to say yes to you saying that to her. I'd include the part about being the air that you breathe and that you don't know how you survived without her. It gives your proposal an almost poetic quality," Margaret said.

"Thanks Margaret. I really hope that you're right," Trapper said to her. "I better get out of your hair. I've got Post-Op in about fifteen minutes."

Margaret nodded her head and they both said goodnight. Trapper left her tent with a little skip to his step. He whistled as he walked. He walked straight to Post-Op, sure that nothing could ruin his day.


	7. Chapter 7

Casidy walked into the Post-Op. She had a nice nap before. When she woke up she had been sad that Trapper had not been there. But she had gotten up and walked over to the hospital. When she saw him, she couldn't help but grin. He stood at the end of a cot reading the report on one of their patients from earlier. She frowned when she noticed he was running his fingers through his hair. She knew that was a sign that he was stressed out. She sighed softly, worried that their patient was getting an infection. She walked over to where he stood. "What's a matter, Doctor?" She felt funny addressing him so formally, but did so out of respect.

"He's got in infection that could kill a water buffalo and he's not responding to penicillin, Nurse. If that's any indication as to what's a matter," he said without even looking up. She gaged that he either didn't want to talk to her, or didn't know it was her. She didn't know what to do other than her job.

"What would you like for me to do, Trap?" She asked.

Trapper sighed softly when he looked down and saw it was her. He hadn't known it was her. "I'm so sorry, Cas. I didn't mean to snap at you. I didn't know it was you. To be honest, I'm really worried about this kid. He's the one that we had to get Hawk to help us with..." He leaned over and kissed to the top of her head. "What do you think we should do about him? We've given him almost a full round of penicillin and bub-kiss."

Casidy thought for a moment before she answered. "I'm not the doctor here... you are, but maybe we missed something, even with Hawkeye's help."

He thought about it, running his fingers through his hair again. He squinted his eyes and looked at the clip board in front of him again He nodded his head and smiled down at her, almost sure that he knew that this kid was going to make it even if he had to open him up again. "Maybe we should get some new X-Rays and then some blood for a culture." He didn't know how she did it but she had managed to make him so sure that they'd get him through this and smile... all in one. He hadn't been smiling for the past two hours while he watched over his ailing patient. "Hey Klinger, get some help and take Carlton here to X-Ray. Then Casidy, take a vial of blood," he said.

Casidy nodded her head and walked over with Trapper to the next patient. She picked up the patient's clipboard. She looked at it. "Matthews, James. Chest wound. No infection so far. Good vitals." She said.

"Keep him on liquids, and keep a watch out for infection. He should be ready to go to Seoul for some rest and relaxation before going back to the good ole US of A," Trapper said. She nodded and wrote down his orders on the clip board, before going to the next bed with him.

He handed her the clipboard and leaned down to take the pulse of the little girl that they had worked on together. She smiled when she saw that the little girl was holding the doll she had got her. She smoothed a piece of hair out of the little girl's face. "Hi SuLi. How do you feel?" she asked.

SuLi smiled up at Casidy and waved to Trapper who made moose antlers at her. The little girl laughed. "Feel better. Foot still hurt. But feeling better," she said in broken English. The two of them had been trying to help her learn English.

Casidy nodded her head and wrote down what the little girl said. "Can I see your foot?"

The little girl nodded her head and let Casidy pull her foot out from under the blanket. Trapper bent down on the other side of the little girl and looked as Casidy held it in her hand. Trapper touched where the stitches joined the skin, and looked at the little girl. "Does that hurt much?" he asked.

The little girl shook her head. "No, Joe, doesn't hurt much. Just a little. Can we play Old Maid now? And can I have a candy bar?" She grinned at the two of them.

Trapper and Casidy couldn't help but laugh. The little girl had been a blessing to this unit. Her arrival had made it so that many of the doctors and nurses had something there to keep them grounded. They all had found joy in the little girl's laughter. She wouldn't be at the hospital much longer. Her stitches were healing nicely. Casidy was almost saddened by the thought that their little friend would be leaving them soon. She could tell that Trapper was feeling the same. "No... we've got to finish our rounds before we can play cards with you... then we'll be back. If Radar comes in here... ask him for a candy bar... I'm sure that he's got one in his office and wouldn't mind sharing. Rest up for us okay?" Trapper said.

Casidy and Trapper went to the other beds in the Hospital wing and then went into Pre-Op. There were no new cases in there. Trapper felt a bit of relief. He was glad that the war seemed to be taking a break. Casidy nodded back towards where the little girl sat in her bed. "I think our little one is really looking forward to that game of Old Maid... We better get in there and keep her company for a little while," Trapper said, looking over her shoulder. The two walked into the Post-Op and each grabbed a stool. They sat down on either side of her bed and Trapper shuffled the deck.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hi Mom, its me again. It has been about three days since I started this letter, and it seems that a whole mess of stuff has happened since I last had this pen in my hand. _

_The operating room hasn't been as busy as it usually is, but Trapper and I have been working in Post-Op many times, and we went to the Korean girl's house to check on her and the baby. The baby is fine and strong. The baby's mother speaks broken English, but enough that she could talk to us. She named her baby Mia. She and her mother are both doing very good. The baby is very beautiful. She's a very happy baby from what I can see. _

_This time Radar didn't accompany us. He had much too much work back in camp to play chauffeur to us. Trapper drove. He's actually a pretty decent driver. There wasn't too much excitement on the way back. In fact, Trapper drove me up to the heli-pad again. I love sitting up there and watching the sun set with him. He's so very sweet. You probably have tired of reading that. _

_Thank you so much for your package. I shared the cake with Radar, Trapper, Hawkeye and Majorie. They all enjoyed having some real homemade sweets. The food here is barely edible. Trapper said for me to thank you for him as well when I told him who sent it. He also said that you were an amazing cook, at least from what he had tasted. He also joked that if I was half the cook that you are, there's no way he's letting me slip through his fingers. _

_The little girl, SuLi, that I told you about earlier gets to go home tomorrow. Her stitches are ready to be taken out, and she's in really good spirits. The whole hospital will miss her little laugh. I think that it has helped some of the soldiers who are recovering as well. Healed parts of their spirits that we could never have touched with medicine. I hate to see her leaving us. It will feel like the place is a little bit emptier without her. Who will Trapper and I play Old Maid with now?_

_I better sign off this letter. Otherwise it won't get to you before the end of the war. Just kidding Mom. But seriously, I'll write to you again soon. I can't wait to hear more about home. Please tell everyone that I love them with all of my heart, and encourage them to write... Radar and I enjoy hearing from home._

_Always, Cassidy_


	9. Chapter 9

Casidy put down her pen on the desk and folded the letter. She slid it into the envelope and sealed it. She sat it down on her desk and went back to her bunk, where she sat, her back against the two pillows she had managed to get.

Majorie came into their tent and smiled. "How was your date with Trapper?" Majorie asked the other woman. She knew that it was a first for Casidy. She had been in the military with Casidy since they both enlisted and went through training together. Not that she would have really called that training. In all the time that they had been enlisted together, she had not seen the other woman date. She had never understood why. She knew that Casidy wasn't hindered by being shy as she was. She was quite as home talking to a complete stranger as she was talking to her brother.

"It was nice. Not really a date so much, we went to the village to check on that mother we delivered's baby. The baby and mama are doing good," Casidy said. "On the way back we watched the sunset up at the heli-pad..."

Majorie laughed softly. "That sounds romantic."

Casidy could hear the sarcasm in her tent mate's voice. She ignored it. "It was quite romantic. He put his arm around me and we watched it in silence. It was almost like we were home, except I would have never met him if it wasn't for the war..." She stared up at the tent roof, not letting her room mate ruin her good mood.

"Well that's one way of looking at it. I'm kinda lost here. I know we've been here four months already, but I don't know too many people well enough to spend time with them like that. I mean I know you and some of the other nurses, but you're busy with Trapper most of the time, and the others are busy with the other doctors or each other," Majorie admitted. She had said it before she even realized it was out of her mouth. She hated to tell her friend that she was lonely, but it was the truth.

"How about you come with us to movie night tomorrow... we'll bring someone for you to be alone with. He's gotten kinda lonely lately since Trap and I have been so wrapped up in each other..."

"I hate the idea of a blind date... who are you planning on bringing. No offense Cas, but if its your brother, I'm not interested in the least. He's sweet and nice, but not date able. He's your little brother after all."

Casidy laughed. It had never occurred to her that she might set her brother up with a nurse. She made a note to ask if he was interested in anyone on the nursing staff. She rolled over on her side, and supported her head with the palm of her hand. "No... not Radar. I hadn't actually thought of him maybe wanting to date one of us nurses, but that's not who I was thinking of... How about Hawkeye? He's funny, smart, and not too bad on the eyes." She watched her friend's face.

Majorie thought for a moment. Hawkeye wasn't that bad of a guy. He was kinda rough around the edges, and not very military at all, but he wasn't all together un-date able. He was good looking. She had to admit that even to herself. She had been assigned to his table several times, but usually worked with Henry. "I don't think that I'd object that much at blind dating him. Or sighted dating him either." She laughed at her own joke. She looked over at her tent mate and shrugged. "Why the hell not? It can't be worse than that guy I went on the date with in Seoul." She cringed before continuing. "He was a nightmare. Now he's someone that could get a section 8 without even trying. Klinger should take lessons from him."

Casidy had to laugh. She remembered the guy that Majorie was talking about quite well. He was loony. She had been scared that guy would had tried to follow them here to the MASH unit. "I second that. Klinger would get out in a heart beat if he was like that guy. To think he tried to give you a little Korean boy for a present. Didn't he realize that slavery was abolished about two hundred years ago."

Casidy paused for a moment before continuing. She was glad that her friend was agreeing to see Hawkeye. That way both of them would have someone to hang out with. She and Majorie had been inseparable, until Maj had started dating. Then Casidy had been the one that was left all alone in the tent while her friend was out. "So... tomorrow, you, me, Hawkeye and Trapper? Dinner and a movie? I think Radar said they're playing the Thing that Ate New York. That shouldn't be all together boring."

Majorie laid back on her cot. "Sure, sounds good to me. I'm being moved to your rotation soon... I told Henry that it sucks that we live in the same tent and never see each other. He said that he'd have Radar change that on the schedule for me."

Casidy couldn't help but be a little happy and a little sad at the same time. She was glad because now she would have Post-Op and OR duty with Majorie more often, but then again, it would mean that their tent wouldn't be empty very often.


	10. Chapter 10

Casidy sat on Radar's desk, her letter in her hand. She waited for her brother to return from inside of Henry's office. She had seen the door swing closed as she had walked in, and decided to wait for him. He was in the office for a little bit longer than she had expected, but returned with a few file folders in his hands. Probably papers for Henry to sign.

Radar ran out of Henry's office and looked up at her. "Choppers," he stated plainly. Casidy ran for the scrub room. She pulled her hair up quickly.

Radar's voice could be heard over the loud speaker "Incoming wounded. Ambulances and helicopters on both upper and lower concourses. All available medical personnel report to the O.R."

All the doctors and nurses in the camp ran for the OR. The MASH 4077 was in for a long night.


End file.
